Bicycle attachment.



No. 692,725. Patented Feb. 4, I902.

H. SIMMONS.

BICYCLE ATTACHMENT.

(Application med Sept. 9, 1901.

um Modal.)

NITED Y STATES.

PATENT CFFICE.

HARRY SIMMONS, OF BOONE, IOW'A.

BICYCLE ATTACHMENT.

srncrrroarron formingpart of Letters Patent No. 692,725, dated February4, 1902. Application filed September 9, 1901. Serial No. 74,74l- (N0 mdel-l To all whom it vmay concern:

' Be it known that L-HARRY SIMMONS, a citizen of the UnitedStates,1residing at Boone, in the county of Boone and State of Iowa,

have invented certain new and useful Imthe machine-frame, therebysecuring the .wheels in alinement with each other, and

when the device is set in its inoperative position the wheels may freelyturn as required .in steering the bicycle, and when in either positionthe attachment will be prevented from rattling or shaking and will beyieldingly held in position-that is to say, the attachment will remainin any position in which it is placed and cannot he accidentally orinadvertently changed to any other position.

Heretofore in bicycles in which the steering-wheel could not be securedagainst turning relative to the machine-frame it'has been found verydifficult to stand a bicycle in a position leaning against a tree, post,or other support, because when a-slight shake or jar is given to themachine-frame the front Wheel would turn relative to the machine-frame,and hence the machine-frame would fall to the ground. This has beenespecially true with regard to bicycles having a drop-frame, and it hasbeen very diflicult to secure and support bicycles of this class withoutfirmly holding both the front and the rear wheels. Obviously by lockingthe wheels against turning to a position out of alinement the bicyclemay be securely placed in position leaning against a support if any partof the frame or wheels rest against such support.

Another particular advantage to be obtained by the use of niy attachmentis the promotion of conveniencein leading a bicycle, for obviously ifthe wheels cannot turn to any considerable extent out of the line ofadvance the bicycle can be led more easily than though the wheels werefree to turn in any direction. My invention consists in certain detailsin the construction, arrangement, and combination of the various partsof the device whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as

hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claim, andillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 shows anenlarged detail view of a portion of the steering-head with myattachment applied thereto, part of the steering-head being broken awayto show adjacent portion of the fork-stein. Fig. 2 shows a sideelevation of the locking-bolt detached. Fig.

3 shows a sectional view through the indicated line 3 3 of Fig. 4. Fig.4 shows a side elevation of the steering-head and adjacent portion of abicycle-fral'ne with my improvement applied thereto as in practical use.Fig. 5 shows a like view and portion, of the clamp for attaching mydevice to a bicycle-.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

I have used the reference-numeral 10 to indicate the bicycle-frameproper; 11, the tubular steering-head thereof. i

12 indicates the fork of the steering-wheel,

and 13'indicates the fork-stem, which is also tubular and passedupwardly through the steering-head andcapable of free rotation In therear surface of the steering,

therein. head is a small opening 14, and in the forkstem is a slightlylarger opening 15 so arranged relative to the opening 14 that when thesteering-wheel is in alinement with the driving-wheel of the bicycle thesaid openings 14 and 15 will be in alinement. These openings are, asabove indicated, preferably located at the rear surface of said parts;but obviously they may, if desired, be placed in any part 'of the saidportions of the frame.

The'device for connecting my attachment with a bicycle comprises .atwo-part clamp. The one part indicated by the reference-numeral 16 issemicircular in shape and provided with perforated lugs 17 at its ends,and it is designed to overlap the steering-head. The other part of theclamp (indicated by the numeral 18) is of similar general contour andprovided with perforated lugs 19 at its ends, and at its central portionis an angular projection 20, transversely bored to receive a screw 21.The two parts of the clamp are adjustable and detachably connected bymeans of the screw 22, passed through the lugs 17 and 19. Mounted in theangular projection 20 is a lever 23, having an opening 24, through whichthe screw 21 may be passed, and also having a rounded end portion 25,designed to pass through the openings l t and 15. Obviously when thesaid lever is in position it may be manipulated to extend the roundedportion 25 through the openings 1 1 and 15, or it may be removed fromsaid openings, as desired. In this connection I have provided means ofsimple and inexpensive construction, whereby the said lever may beyieldingly supported in either position, so that it cannot be shakenloose, and at the same time it will be prevented from rattling in eitherposition, as follows:

The numeral 26 indicates a flat leaf-spring having its ends fixed to thelever 23 at opposure is applied to the pivotal point of said lever,which will prevent it from rattling. When the lever is moved to theposition shown in Fig. 6, the contact-point of the spring on thesteering-head obviously passes a dead-center and the lever will be heldjust as firmly in its open or inoperative position and will also beprevented from rattling in simply operates the lever 23 to insert theportion 25 in the openings 14: and 15. Then the bicycle-wheels aresecurely locked in position in alinement with each other, and obviouslyif any portion of the bicycle frame or wheels is placed againsta supportthe bicycle cannot fall down, because the wheels cannot turn relative toeach other. This is, as above indicated, especially advantageous withdropframe or ladies bicycles, because in bicycles of this class the onlyway to lean them against a vertical support is by means of the handlesor saddle, and obviously such support is very insecure and the slightestjar or movement of the bicycle will cause it to fall; but with myattachment it is obviated and the bicycle may be easily supported.Furthermore,when it is desired to lead a bicycle the lever is placed inposition to lock the fork-stem in the steering-head, and on account ofthe opening 15 being slightly larger than the opening 14 the fork-stemis permitted a slight rotary movement, sufficient to permit the bicycleto be easily led, and yet prevent the front wheel from turning at toomuch of an angle relative to the hind Wheel.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States therefor, is-- The combinationwith a bicycle, having an opening in its steering-head and an opening ofdifferent size in the fork-stem, said openings being so positioned as tobe in alinement when the bicycle-Wheels are in alinement, a two-partclamp to encircle the steering-head, a screw for connecting the saidparts, a lever fulcrumed to the said clamp and having one end designedto enter both of said openings, and a spring having its ends fixed tothe said lever on opposite sides of its fulcrum and having its centralportion arched or bowed to yieldingly engage the adjacent portion of thesteering-head, substantially as and for the purposes stated.

HARRY SIMMON S.

\Vitnesses:

GEORGE VWRon, II. E. FRY.

